Disneyland

So we took the kids to Disneyland. I have to admit that Bryce talked me into it, and I wasn't all that excited about the whole thing. It sounded exhausting and not really like a vacation for either one of us. About five minutes into our first day, I will also admit that I totally changed my mind. Seeing three little kids from Alaska completely lose their minds over princesses and roller coasters is pretty cool. And at the end of it all, completely exhausted, Bryce and I decided we had a really great time. But also that we probably weren't going to do it ever again. So here it is:

Mexico

So we took the kids down to Mexico for two weeks in early December.  It was hot and sunny and beautiful, and we forgot all about snow and Christmas and Alaska and real life. 

The day that we arrived, we hurried to the room, threw on some shorts, took off our shoes and headed down to the beach.  Cedar stood at the edge of the ocean in her bare feet and contemplated the water.  Then when the surf edged close to her feet, she looked at me nervously and ran away.  Fast.  I'm pretty sure she thought it was going to be freezing cold just like every other ocean she's ever seen.  Once I dragged her in there against her will though, she had a change of heart.  And everything was up from there.

One Month

It has actually been more than a month since I last posted here.  Time flies, right?  There has been a lot to say, some good, some bad, some just life.  I'm hoping I will eventually get to it all.  The highlight was taking the kids down to Oregon to see family and friends.  It was hot and lovely and we saw some of our favorite people in the whole wide world.  It was my first time traveling with all three kids by myself.  And I survived.  I'll say that much.

It was great to see cousins.  And dance in the sun.

And one of my oldest, dearest, and most beautiful friends got married.  Congratulations Mary and Ryan!  A fantastic time was had by all.

More stories to come, but we are back home now.  And school starts in 10 DAYS.  Ack.  My baby boy is going to be a first grader. 

Lastly, you just ought to try this falafel recipe.  It was really easy and very, very tasty.  I used canned garbanzo beans, and they turned out great.

Home Again

We just returned home yesterday from a three week trip down south to see family and friends.  It was wonderful and busy and exhausting like these trips always are.  I survived flying with all three kids by myself, and we immersed ourselves in big city fun.

I also took a lot of pictures of groups of kids, most of which ended up something like these.  

And those are the good ones.

We are now digging out of the post-vacation mess, but I hope to be cooking and parenting again very, very soon.

Traveling With Children

Our recent trip down south really made me think about traveling with the kids and the way I handle it. We live up here in the Far North, far away from family and friends, so once or twice a year we get on an airplane and try to see as many of those people as we can. I really look forward to catching up with everyone, showing how my family has grown, and letting the kids experience the big city stuff they don't get up here. And I think that Porter and Molly enjoy it too.

Except that every single time we travel, the kids (of course) get tired. They don't sleep as well in strange beds, they wake up early, naps get cut short in order to do everything we want, and bedtimes get pushed back because who wants to be on a strict schedule on vacation? So they get progressively more over tired as the trip goes on. And then there are strangers (to them) to meet, new houses to go to, and routines that are totally thrown off. I know this is hard on Porter with his reluctance to all things unfamiliar, and even Molly has her moments.

On this past trip, we really tried. But it happened. Molly put on her particularly intense, drawn out version of two year old tantrums every single dang place we went. She's prone to being particular anyway, but every day we walked on egg shells around her to avoid the mommy do it or I'll do it screaming fests. She was a lot more difficult than usual. A lot. Almost every house we stayed at also had children, so it was okay overall, I think people understood. But I felt bad. Hi! So good to see you! Here are my lovely (I mean, totally obnoxious) children. Sigh. Porter mostly held up, but had his own set of behavior issues too. So we really did have a good time, but it was exhausting trying to keep everyone happy and not be embarrassed by my poor parenting skills.

One of our last nights in town, the whole thing came to a head. We had gone to the zoo that day and walked around for about 4 hours. I was tired enough that I fell asleep on the couch while Molly napped that afternoon. Porter built a volcano with my mom, which was great fun, but I should have known that he would be way tired. That evening, we took the kids to a friend's house for pizza. No one else there had kids, but they are very good friends of mine from childhood, and I really wanted them to see Porter and Molly so I just didn't think. Total disaster. Porter was about as rude and disrespectful as he has ever been. He was so tired that he couldn't even eat (even though I knew he was hungry). He complained and acted up the entire time, even to people who were completely trying to pander to him. I couldn't snap him out of it with anger or coddling or anything. Plus Molly was her usual self, prone to terrorizing breakable items. I felt like they monopolized the discussion, which is so boring to people that don't have kids, I know. Bryce told me afterwards that he kept trying to change the subject, but it was so hard with kids in your face all the time not to talk about them. Ugh. So mostly, I was just embarrassed and really, really wished we had left them home with my parents and an early bedtime. This situation was quite easily preventable, but I just wasn't in the sleep crazy mindset.

So I guess I'm not sure what the best course of action is. Do you force a sleeping schedule (that might not happen anyway) and just say no to long road trips with no naps? Or do you just say screw it and deal with your kids being cranky? Because it's only a short time and you want to see everyone and do everything. It truly is difficult (and inconvenient to others) to stay on a routine sometimes, but it also doesn't seem fair to kids to burden them with no sleep and then get mad when they react.

The few days that we've been home have been like a sigh of relief. My kids! They are normal again! They actually aren't monsters! I just wish that everyone else I miss so much could see them like this, the way they are supposed to be. It's a lot more fun.

Home Sweet Home

We made it home yesterday, and when I put Porter to bed, he rested his head on his pillow, sighed, and said "ooooooooh yeah." I think that's about how we all felt. We had a fantastic time with so many people, but there is just nothing on earth like your own bed.

However, I will definitely miss nice weather in January, Indian food and free babysitters! And also all the fun things we got to enjoy in the big city. Thanks to everyone so much for all the generous hospitality (even when our kids were tired and not well behaved), we had a great trip.

Off The Road

We are back in the Big City, safe from our week long road trip with two small children (otherwise known as the Scenic Rest Area Tour of 1-90). We discovered an hour into our drive that Porter is still very much in the throes of car sickness and can not watch the DVD player unless closely supervised on a very straight stretch of highway. This kid has been throwing up in cars (and planes) his entire life, but he just doesn't get much of a chance to get sick in a town with 40 miles of road. I'm just thankful that he can now tell us what's coming at least a few seconds in advance.

We had a very good time seeing family and friends alike, and we got to show Porter the house we lived in when he was born. He didn't remember anything, and didn't really seem to believe that we once lived in Montana. Although the drive was long, it was worth it for sure. We are spending a few more days here with my parents, then we'll head back to the Far North, back to school and Dawson and getting ready for the new baby (10 weeks to go).

Back in the Big City

We've taken the kids and made the pilgrimage to see family and friends down south in the big city. We survived the plane trip without any vomiting or major melt downs. Even though the DVD player ran out of batteries about 45 seconds into plane ride #1. My bad. I actually had a thought about how now that Molly was two this whole traveling thing was actually getting easier. And then I remembered. Easier, right. Just wait.

Now we are staying at my parents' house, enjoying good food and strewing toys and jars of worms in every possible nook and cranny. They are very good sports about it.

Bryce is currently way, way down south on a business trip, but will return soon. At which point we will head out on a 1600 mile road trip across the western United States to see far flung family and friends. Wish us luck.

Tennessee

is different than Alaska.

In Tennessee they have lightning bugs and sweet tea and Heat and Humidity and wonderful tomatoes and catfish and kudzu and outdoor swimming and cousins.

In Alaska we have mountains and good beer and rain and blueberries and crab pots and pine trees and friends and the ocean.

Although we (and especially Porter) are having a great time here, I think Alaska will always win my heart. We miss you!

Big Long Catch Up Post

We've been busy! The big city is a fun place when you live in the Far North.

We've hung out with old friends.

And made new ones.

We've played outside.

We even went to Chuck E. Cheese's (and I kind of had fun too).

Of course there is family too. Molly and Ava are becoming fast friends.

I've also (of course) done some serious shopping. And eating of ethnic foods.

Tomorrow my mom and I are cooking a Father's Day brunch for my dad and grandad. We're making Overnight Cinnamon Rolls (these are really good, I've make them before), Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Green Onions and Gruyere, and Fruit Salad with Strawberries and Blueberries. I miss Bryce and wish he was here with us too!

Still On The Road

We are still hanging out with family here and enjoying our summer. We had a fun trip to the Children's Museum, I had a kid free 3 hour brunch with old friends, and I got to see my seven month old nephew (who is the cutest, quietest baby ever).

I mean, he seriously could not be any cuter, could he?

I'm not sure why I thought I could get a good picture of four cousins in bad lighting. It didn't work. At all.

And this happened to Ava when my sister was out of town. We blame her dad.

On The Road (Expanded)

So, yes, good times here in the (not so) far south. As far as the airplane, 18 months has just got to be the worst age of kid to fly with. They don't want to watch a movie and they don't want to sit in your lap and they don't want to sleep and arrrrrrrgggh. Thank you business man for giving me the stink eye. It really helped. Also, Porter gets airsick during turbulence. He always has. Our quick flight from Seattle was very bumpy, and my poor guy was green. This time though, for the first time ever in his life, he managed to get it all in the little airsickness bag. And not all over me, the seat, the aisle or a random stranger's luggage (yes, really, fun times there). He's growing up! Anyway, it could totally have been worse, but I was pretty dang glad to have that part of our trip over with.

Now that we are at my parent's house, life is fairly uneventful. My sister is out of town at a wedding, and I've been watching my niece and my two kids here during the day while my parents are at work. The babies have been really good for the most part, and Porter has been doing all manner of cool things with his grandma like a Rose Festival Parade, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and going to the movies. There seems to be an endless array of fun things to do in the big city, and it's a wonderful place to visit. This weekend holds more family events (I get to see my baby nephew for the second time ever!) and some quality time with old girl friends. I can't wait.

Also, happy birthday Mom!! You're the best!